


The Perfect Christmas Gift

by BastRavenshadow, Jersey_Lion



Category: due South
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 18:42:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11213967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BastRavenshadow/pseuds/BastRavenshadow, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jersey_Lion/pseuds/Jersey_Lion
Summary: Ray needed a present for Fraser. Something that said 'You're important to me' and yet, wasn't osten – osten – flashy. Or more than he could afford. Or was anything of the usual sort of crap that people bought and gave to people they loved, and which then lived its remaining years out of the trash pile in a back corner of the closet. He needed the perfect Christmas gift.





	The Perfect Christmas Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a friend for Christmas 2015.

Ray's gaze was fixed on the store windows as he slouched along, his mood edging from uncertainty toward desperation the longer he looked over bright displays of toys, clothes, jewelry, clothes, electronic gizmos and hugely expensive whatever the fuck those were. 

He needed a present for Fraser. Something that said 'You're important to me' and yet, wasn't osten – osten – flashy. Or more than he could afford. Or was anything of the usual sort of crap that people bought and gave to people they loved, and which then lived its remaining years out of the trash pile in a back corner of the closet. He needed the perfect Christmas gift.

"I ain't got a clue," he muttered to himself, then realised maybe he should show up for work on time, and stopped window non-shopping and jogged the rest of the block to the station.

+++

"Ray. Ray. Ray…." Fraser said, hoping he did not sound unkind but he did know he sounded somewhat insistent as he, Ray, and Diefenbaker had plans and they really did need to be going. Ray seemed to be lost in a daydream, and Fraser wondered what was on his mind. He didn't dare hope Ray was thinking about him… them. Ray slowly turned and blinked at him then did a double take.

"Fraser!" What was he doing down here in the evidence lockup?

"Yes, Ray. We had a lunch date –"

"Oh, hell. I'm sorry, Fraser, I –"

Ben smiled, somewhat indulgently, he was afraid. He enjoyed indulging Ray's flights of fancy. Ones such as wolves and turtles are natural enemies in the wild. Frankly, Benton loved Ray's flights of fancy. They gave him something to think about during his long nights alone. 

Well, honestly he wasn't alone – Diefenbaker was always with him, but…. With a start, he realised Ray was talking to him as they climbed the stairs. "I beg your pardon, Ray. What?"

"You daydreaming, Fraser?" Ray asked with a quick grin. Daydreaming. Who'd've thought? Ray thought it was kind of endearing, seeing a… chink in Benton Fraser's perfection. Made him more approachable, but no less perfect. "You said lunch date? Ready to go and all?" 

Ray and Fraser had worked on a case that morning, separately going over evidence and what information they could find. But nothing new had turned up, they did have plans, and normally it was Fraser making sure they stuck to them. Organized, punctual, efficient, that was Ben. Maybe they were kind of rubbing off on each other, Fraser daydreaming and Ray snapping him out of it.

"We taking Dief?" 

"Don't we always?" Fraser asked with a small smile, replacing his Stetson as they headed out of the precinct, Dief trotting along with him. "Are you ready for Christmas?" He wasn't sure what to get Ray for Christmas. He knew what he wanted to give Ray, but he really didn't dare.

"Huh? Christmas?" Ray pretended like he had no idea it was actually December, much less Christmas.

"Yes, Ray. Christmas."

"I hadn't thought about it," Ray lied.

Reproachfully, Fraser gazed at him. "Christmas repeats on the same day each year, Ray. With the extremely early start to advertising and decoration so prevalent, it's doubtful you've not noticed it is, indeed, again time for Christmas."

"Well yeah, I noticed but I haven't thought about it." Ray shrugged. 

"I see." Ben thought that highly unlikely. "Well, I thought that we might spend the holiday together. We could cook. You said your mother sent you her twice-baked potato recipe after last year's holiday –"

"Disaster?" Ray asked with a quick grin, interrupting.

Ben rubbed his eyebrow. "Well –"

"Disaster, Ben. Admit it."

"Perhaps –"

Ray grinned even wider. "Disaster. Say it. Diz-ass-ter."

"Very well, disaster," Ben said, giving up. 

Ray laughed and Ben thought he hadn't ever seen a more beautiful sight. 

Eat together. Last year, they'd been planning on eating together, at Fraser's, but then there'd been a case, and then they'd had to buy a meal because it got late, and well, disaster was pretty much the right word. Bad food. Bad reaction to bad food. Even Dief had been unhappy with the meal, and there were not many things worse than a wolf moaning about his tummy for hours. Dief was sometimes a little dramatic.

Ray certainly wanted to spend the holiday with Benton Fraser. The holiday and a lot of other days. He just wasn't sure how to bring it up, and had been hoping to find the right present to just say it for him. Fraser didn't wear jewelry, or anything, and that made it doubly hard. 

Truth was, Ray loved Fraser, and not like a brother, fellow cop, good guy, or buddy. It was a little weird, but Ray knew a whole lot about his life was kind of weird, and this wasn't even the weirdest thing ever. Talking to Fraser's dead father was the topper in that category. 

They walked down the block to where Ray had parked that morning, climbed into Ray's black GTO, his pride and joy so to speak, and headed for their, and Dief's, favourite hamburger place to get some lunch. 

Neither Ray nor Fraser was any closer to a solution. 

+++

Ray watched Fraser eat his burger and fries as Diefenbaker lay beneath their table, his own burger between his paws. "So, uh…." Dammit, he hated it when he couldn't come up with something smooth to say.

"Yes, Ray?" Fraser asked, looking up from his meal.

"Uh… yeah, Christmas, that sounds good." That sounded lame even to himself. But maybe Fraser didn't think so because he was giving Ray that big blinding smile of his.

Ray ended up smiling at his own meal the rest of the time, thinking maybe this – he – wasn't as hopeless as maybe it seemed sometimes.

**Christmas Eve**

Ray frowned at the handwritten recipe that his mom had sent for those potatoes. Mrs. H, his landlady, had told him how to cook a ham in his slowcooker, so that was already going. Fraser wanted these potatoes though, and Ray was going to make them. So he started, and soon enough, he was feeling pretty confident that he had this. 

An hour later, he was sure of it. They were looking good, just like his mom had described, and while he was waiting for them to get out of the oven the second time, he called his parents and wished them a merry Christmas. 

+++

"Yes, I realise that we're a bit early, but I'm sure Ray won't mind," Fraser said, walking up the stairs to Ray's apartment, Diefenbaker at his side. He knocked on Ray's door then looked back down at his wolf. "I'm sure there will be plenty for us, even you, Diefenbaker."

Tossing the pot holders onto the kitchen counter, Ray hurried over and opened the door with a smile. His two favourite people were here. "Merry Christmas! You came just in time!"

"Oh?" Fraser said, stepping into the small apartment, removing his hat.

"Just took the twice-baked out of the oven, and the ham's almost done." 

Diefenbaker trotted past Ray, heading straight for the little kitchen. He reared up and plopped his big paws on the counter, sniffing deeply near the slowcooker. 

"Smells good, huh, Dief?" Ray asked, rubbing the pale wolf's head. The twice-baked potatoes were sitting on the stove near the oven vent to keep warm. Ray picked up the spoon to stir the mixed vegetables. "Fraser, Dief can have ham and potato, right?" 

Diefenbaker, of course, had a dozen donuts wrapped up under the tree, even though Ray knew Ben would Disapprove with a capital D, and Ray had finally gotten his partner and friend, his favourite human being, books and music for Christmas, but he also had made a decision. Somehow, tonight, Ray needed to say how he felt. He was pretty sure that even if Fraser didn't feel the same or anything close, they'd still be friends, partners. No mere gift seemed to say what he felt needed saying, and Fraser didn't think much of material things, really. So, it would have to be words.

"Yes, that would be fine, Ray. Thank you for asking." Fraser stood there and watched Ray talk to Dief, and nervously held his hat in both hands. When Ray turned to ask him a question, spoon in hand, Ben leaned forward and pressed his mouth to Ray's. He'd given himself a Stern Talking To about missed chances and second chances, and this kiss was the end result of said Talking To. 

The spoon clattered on the floor, and Ben was dimly aware of Dief running off with it, but he was more aware of the man pressed against him, his long gorgeous fingers tangling in Fraser's hair, kissing him back as though Ray's life depended on it.

"Fraser – Ben," Ray rasped as the kiss came to an end. "We gotta –" He found himself being kissed again, the Stetson tossed aside as Fraser gripped his butt and pressed him against the wall, Fraser's very hard dick pressing against his.

Ray was good with this, oh God, he was so good with this. This was better than words. When Fraser unsnapped and unzipped Ray's jeans and shoved his hand down, cupping Ray's dick… oh, yeah, Ray was so good with this.

It wasn't fair not to return the favour though, and Ray wanted Ben in the worst way. He wrestled with Fraser's coat, belt, zipper, shirt, stuff, until he could slip a hand down and around Fraser's dick. He kept kissing Ben, and maybe they sort of took turns pressing each other against the wall, the front of the fridge – knocking magnets all over – the wall, counter top, fridge again. 

Soon, they were both groaning and shaking and gasping. And making kind of a mess of shirts and briefs. But… Ray thought maybe now, he could finally say what needed saying, what he'd decided had to be said. He held Fraser tight, his face tucked against Ben's neck. He smelled great. "Love you, Fraser." 

Ray… loves me? "I love you," Fraser said, holding Ray close to him. "I love you." 

"Yeah?" Ray leaned back a little, smiled. Here he'd been worried about what to get. He wondered if Fraser had had the same problem and decided that this – them, him and Fraser, this was the perfect Christmas gift.


End file.
